Gun mounting



March E2, 1949. Q p c u ms 7 2,193,446

GUN MOUNTING Original Filed May 18, 1936 2 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 Fig.1. 26 60 23 20 2 27 kg g V I INVENTOR (490/ P. (av/#171;

ATTOR Y5 Mam 12, 1940. P, ULKINS 2,193,446

GUN MOUNTING v Original Filed May 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [296/7 B [ha/i075 ATTORN EYS Ii M Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITD STATES r s o Application May 18, 1936, Serial No. 80,364 Renewed August 12, 1939 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in gun mountings and its object is to provide a slidable support for a gun barrel and for movable parts of a recoil mechanism therefor with the parts so interconnected that the gun barrel and the slidably supported parts of the recoil mechanism move simultaneously in opposite directions. Another object is to so proportion the weights and the paths of travel of the gun barrel and the slidable parts of the recoil mechanism that they will'balance each other in all of their respective positions.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from the following specification in which I will describe the invention, the novel features of which will be pointed out in the appended claims:

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a gun barrel and of arecoil mechanism therefor supported in a mounting which is an embodiment of my invention. A part only of the gun barrel is shown and some of the other elements are shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified construction which also embodies this invention.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of another type of gun mounting with an embodiment of my invention applied thereto.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts of each of the figures.

Referring first to Fig. 1, H1 is a gun barrel, and H its breech block. 28 is the frame of the gun mounting which in the particular example illllu trated, is provided with trunnions 2! at the center of gravity of the assembly. 30 is a pressure cylinder in Which is a piston 3! connected to the gun barrel by a piston-rod 32 and an arm I2. 40 is a recoil cylinder in which is a piston ll and a piston-rod 42. 5B is a recuperator cylinder in which are floating pistons 5!, 52. The pressure cylinder is connected with the recoil cylinder by an unrestricted passage 33. The recoil cylinder is connected with the recuperator cylinder by a restricted passage 43. 44 is a valve for regulating the size of this passage 43. These cylinders are stationary with the frame 20 and for diagram matic simplification are shown as parts thereof. The cylinders 30 and 40, the passages 33 and 43 and the part of cylinder 50 between the pistons 5| and 52 are filled with oil. The parts of cylinder 59 outside of the pistons therein are filled with gas, preferably under some initial pressure.

The gun barrel H] is slidably supported in a guide 22 formed in the frame. When at rest the arm I2 is against the rear end 23 of the frame. The movement of the barrel to the left is limited by a collar l3 and a part 2 5 of the frame. 25 is another guide formed by the frame. On it is slidably supported a weight 5t which is movable 5 between a shoulder 25 and a collar 2'! on the frame. Weight has an arm 8! which is connected with piston rod 42.

When the gun is fired, the barrel and the parts affixed to it move to the left. This movement im- 1'0" parted to piston 3| forces the oil in pressure cylinder 31? through passage 33 into recoil cylinder 49. This moves piston ll and weight 69 to the right to balance the guru-that is the center of gravity of the combined weights of the gun barrel ill and of the weight 60 is maintained in a vertical plane passing through the axis of trunnions 2|. This is true in all elevations of the gun barrel, it being understood, as will be known to all skilled in the art, that in actual construc tion the cylinders 38, 4c and 5'13 are disposed symmetrically about the axis of the gun barrel.

' The movement of piston ll to the right forces the oil in the front of cylinder it around piston rod 62, through passage 43 into recuperator cylinder 59 between pistons 5i 52. The size of passage 43 is adjusted to produce the desired check on the recoil of the gun barrel. Pistons 5!, 52 are forced apart during the movement of piston 41 to the right and thus balance each other. During this movement they compress the gas in the ends of cylinder 58. The gas pressure thus built up causes the pistons 59, 52, to return to their initial positions, forcing the oil between them back into cylinder as moving piston ll and weight it to the left and piston 3i and gun barrel iii to the right, to their initial positions.

In Fig. 2 the pressure cylinder 39 is shown as formed in the frame M as before, but the recoil cylinder 63 and recuperator cylinder 5% are formed in a slidable unit 60 supported in a guide 25 formed in the frame.

A stationary tube lZ passes from passage 33 through cy inder 45 and piston M There is but one floating piston 5% in the recuperator cylinder.

The recoil of the gun forces the oil out of pressure cylinder til through passage 33* and tube M into the recoil cylinder W to the right of piston M This causes the unit 60 to move to the right toward its dotted line position. The weight of unit EM and its travel are proportioned to the weight and travel of the gun barrel so that the parts are balanced in their diiferent relative positions.

The action of the recuperator cylinder and its piston needs no description as these parts operate in the usual way to cause the various parts of the mechanism to return to their initial positions.

In Fig. 3, the gun barrel it! is supported in the type of mounting shown in United States Patent No. 1,934,700 issued to Gregory E. Daviscn, Nov. 14, 1933. This mounting comprises a vertical post Ill supported on a rotatable base 1!, a cradle 12 pivoted to the post near its end, a beam 13, pivoted at M near the upper end of post 10. One end of the beam is connected by a link or links 15 with the cradle 12, and its other end is weighted to bring the center of gravity through the center of the base 1!.

In this case yokes H and i2 on the gun barrel are movable in slides 213 in the cradle. The pressure cylinder 38 is supported in the cradle. In it is a piston 3E connected to move with the barrel by being connected with yoke M The weight on beam i3 is a slidable unit supported on guide 25 and comprises a recoil cylinder 46 recuperator cylinder 50 and a weight 68 The rear end of pressure cylinder 38 is connected by a flexible tube 323 with a tube 42 which stationary in relation to the beam l3. Tube @2 extends through cylinder 40 and through the piston M therein. The other end of recoil cylinder M is connected with one end of recuperator cylinder 58 by a restricted passage 43 the size of which may be adjusted as by means of a valve such as that indicated at 3 3 in Figs. 1 and 2.

The operation of this Fig. 3 arrangement is similar to that of the Fig. 2 arrangement. When the gun is fired and the barrel moves backward on the cradle "E2, the weighted unit moves in the opposite direction on beam 12.! to maintain the f center of gravity of the assembly over the center of the base 7!.

The flexibility of the tube 33 makes it possible to elevate the gun barrel at will. and as in the other examples of embodiments of the invention, this does not disturb the equilibrium of the parts.

I have illustrated and described several constructions which embody this invention, for the purpose of showing that it is not limited to any specific design. Other modifications may be i made within the spirit and scope of the invention and I intend no limitations other than those imposed the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A gun barrel, arecoil mechanism therefor, a frame supporting the recoil mechanism and slidably supporting the barrel, a weight slidably supported by the frame arranged to balance the weight of the barrel, said recoil mechanism comprising a pressure cylinder, a piston therein connected to be moved by the barrel, a recoil cylinder, a fluid connection between the pressure cylinder and one end of the recoil cylinder, a piston in the recoil cylinder arranged to be acted upon by fluid displaced by the movement of the pressure cylinder piston to move the weight in the opposite direction, a recuperator cylinder, a fluid connection between the other end of the recoil cylinder and the recuperator cylinder, said recuperator cylinder being arranged to return the move able parts to their initial positions.

2. A gun mounting comprising avertical post, a cradle pivotally connected at one of its ends with the lower part of the post, a gun barrel slidably suppcrted by the cradle, a pressure cylinder held by the cradle in parallelism with the barrel,

a piston therein arranged to be moved with the barrel, a beam pivoted to the upper part of the post, a connection between one end of the beam and the cradle and a weight movable on the other end of the beam, and fluid pressure means actuated by the movement of the barrel and piston in one direction for moving the weight in the opposite direction.

3. A gun mounting comprising a vertical post, a cradle pivotally connected at one of its ends with the lower part of the post, a gun barrel slidably supported by the cradle, a pressure cylinder held by the cradle inparallelism with the barrel, a piston therein arranged to be moved with the barrel, a beam pivoted to the post, a

connection between one end of the beam and the cradle and a weight on the other end of the beam, said-weight comprising a member slidably supported by the beam, a recoil cylinder and a recuperator cylinder movable with said member,

a fluid connection between the pressure cylinder and therecoil cylinder including a stationary tube extending into the recoil cylinder, a piston on said tube within the recoil cylinder whereby the fluid displaced by the movement of the piston in the pressure cylinder moves said member in the opposite direction, and a fluid connection between the recoil cylinder and the recuperator cylinder whereby the movement of the recoil cylinder over the piston therein builds up pressure in the recuperator cylinder to return the movable parts to their initial positions.

4. A gun mounting comprising a vertical post, a cradle pivotally connected at one of its ends with the lower part of the post, a gun barrel slidably supported by the cradle, a pressure cylinder held by the cradle in parallelism with the barrel, a piston therein arranged to be moved with the barrel, a beam pivoted to the upper part of the post, a connection between one end of the beam and the cradle and a weight on the other end of the beam, said weight comprising a member slidably supported by the beam, a recoil cylinder and a recuperator cylinder movable with said member, a fluid connection between the pressure cylinder and the recoil cylinder, a piston within the recoil cylinder arranged to be acted upon by fluid displaced by the movement of the pressure cylinder piston to move said member in the opposite direction, and a fluid connection between the recoil cylinder and the recuperator cylinder whereby the movement of the recoil cylinder over the piston therein builds up pressure in the recuperator cylinder to return the movable parts to their initial positions.

5. A gun mounting comprising a vertical post, a cradle pivotally connected at one of its ends with the lower part of the post, a gun barrel slidably supported by the cradle, a pressure cylinder held by the cradle in parallelism with the barrel, a piston therein arranged to be moved with the barrel, a beam pivoted to the upper part of the post, a connection between one end of the beam and the cradle, a recoil cylinder slidably mounted on the other end of the beam, a piston in the recoil cylinder fixedly connected to the beam, a fluid connection between the pressure cylinder and the recoil cylinder at one side of the piston therein whereby the movement of the barrel and piston in the pressure cylinder in one direction will cause the recoil cylinder to be moved in the opposite direction.

6. A gun mounting comprising a vertical post, a cradle pivotally connected at one of its ends with the lower part of the post, a gun barrel slidably supported by the cradle, a pressure cylinder held by the cradle in parallelism with the barrel, a piston therein arranged to be moved with the barrel, a beam pivoted to the upper part of the post, a connection between one end of the beam and the cradle, a recoil cylinder and a recuperator cylinder slidably mounted on the other end of the beam, a piston in the recoil cylinder fixedly connected to the beam, a fluid connection between the pressure cylinder and the recoil cylinder at one side of the piston therein whereby the movement of the barrel and piston in the pressure cylinder in one direction will cause the recoil and recuperator cylinders to be moved in the opposite direction.

'7. A gun barrel, a weight, a frame, a vertical support therefor at the center of gravity of the frame and the parts carried thereby, said frame having a guide on one side of the support for slidably supporting the barrel and another guide on the other side of the support remotely spaced from but parallel with the barrel supporting guide for slidably supporting the Weight, and means actuated by the recoil movement of the barrel in its guide to slide the weight in its guide in the opposite direction to maintain the center of gravity of the parts over the support for the frame.

CECIL P. CAULKINS. 

